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Master Plan Revealed For The Rebuilding Of Ellicott City After Historic Storm

Ellicott City, Md. (WJZ)– It’s been nearly a year since the catastrophic flooding of historic Ellicott City.

The region has made some major progress in rebuilding and recovery, but there is still work to be done.

Howard County unveiled plans Wednesday to make the city more resilient to any future flooding.

It’s a combination of tons of research and community input that will ultimately boil down into a well-planned road map for long-term rebuilding.

The deadly flooding that ravaged Ellicott City is forever ingrained in the minds of many. It’s been nearly a year since the dramatic images first began making headlines.

The National Weather Service called it a one in a thousand-year flood.

A months worth of rain fell in just two hours. Immediately the focus shifted to rebuilding and planning for the future.

“We’ve been doing a lot of studies since then we’ve doing a lot of work since then,” said Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman.

For decades flooding has been a concern in Ellicott City in part because of where the city sits.

Now engineers and the public have been working together to devise a master plan to help better prepare the region for any future flooding that may occur.

“The reality is that our town is going to flood at some point but how can we deter those flood waters from completely destroying everything that we have invested in our community,” said business owner Angela Tersiguel.

Work is still ongoing in helping rebuild historic Ellicott City. More than 20 projects are in the works, all building towards the master plan at hand.

A lot of the work is centered on infrastructure and taking a closer look at nearby waterways.

“I’m still amazed everyday that we were able to get open and rebuild,” said another business owner.

A big part of the plan is a unique flood model that not only recreates the historic flooding but allows researchers to see how other storms could impact the region in the future.

George Solis joined the WJZ-TV in March 2016.
A Southwest Florida native, George is excited to live and explore the Northeast!
Prior to relocating to Charm City, George spent three years reporting in his hometown of Fort Myers,...